X-ray imaging techniques have become important parts of our lives since the invention in the 19th century. The majority of these x-ray imaging systems use table-top electron-bombardment x-ray sources, but synchrotron radiation sources, which provide highly collimated beams with 6 to 9 orders of magnitude higher brightness and tunable narrow bandwidths, have greatly expanded the capabilities of x-ray imaging techniques and also enabled spectral microscopy techniques that are able to selectively image specific elements in a sample.
One significant limitation of synchrotron radiation facilities is the relatively long down-time compared with tabletop x-ray sources. While a tabletop source can run continuously between annual or semi-annual maintenance intervals, synchrotrons typically require more frequent maintenance intervals with long shutdown times. These maintenance requirements can lead to excessive down-time of the x-ray imaging instruments.